Awe-Inspiring, Visually Stunning

Rating: 9/10 (2 August 2013)

I loved watching this movie in 3D in the theater! This movie made me feel like a kid again, I was absorbed and entranced by the stunning, colorful action and visuals. It's the kind of movie that gives you something to daydream about. I loved watching and idea of these giant robot Mechs. Gives you that I-love-science-and-technology feeling.
The entire movie has this quality I have never seen before, wherein the feel of it was bleak and gritty, but at the same time it was very colorful and futuristic and fantastic.
These days in action movies often the action sequences are hard to follow because the director employs too many cuts and blurs, I assume to make it seem more exciting. But here I never had the thought, as I often do in other action movies, "When is this action scene going to end... yawn... what is even going on?"
I took off one star though because the movie isn't perfect. For instance, the main character is extremely forgettable, I could not even tell him apart from this other more minor character in the movie that looks similar. And then there was Elba's character and performance, there was something off about it. It's hard to put into words, the delivery of his lines was unconvincing at times: flat or the timing was off.
I enjoyed the female lead. She's a gentle soft-spoken Japanese woman, and the movie does not apologize or overcompensate for it. Her character isn't the generic female lead who sneers at Mr. reckless rebellious protagonist at first and then gets won over and falls in love with him. Instead the male and female leads develop a hearty platonic friendship based on mutual understanding and shared experience.
The movie had a rainbow of colorful characters, like the goofy scientists, the bleach-blonde rockstar-looking russians you see in the background, Ron Perlmen's character, they were all welcome comic relief to whole serious aliens-are-trying-to-wipeout-all-of-humanity situation.
The movie is well done, but there is no denying it is completely formulaic. I instantly saw so many parallels between this movies and for example, Independence Day. The film is very much classic Hollywood, three-act, Joseph Campbell's-Hero's Journey stuff.
And the whole premise of the movie doesn't make sense. If aliens were attacking earth, why would you build two-legged humanoid mechs to punch them and shoot at them at close range? Makes zero sense from an engineering standpoint. But all that is forgivable because after all... MECHS! But still worth pointing out... there are other things in the movie like that but I won't get into it.
The special effects in the movie are amazing, and the director knew what he was doing with them. There were so many points in the movie where I was just in awe of how beautiful and well-put-together the action and special effects were. Moments where I appreciated watching something that felt absolutely PERFECT.
If you are in the mood for a colorful action movie, run to the theaters now! I could see someone not liking it though if they need something deep or logical, this movie is a fun formulaic action movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.